1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for changing conveyance directions of a work piece and more particularly to a mechanism used for changing directions of a work piece being conveyed.
2. Prior Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 240818/1997 discloses a device for changing conveyance directions of a work piece on the same plane or on the same conveyance plane.
Such a device has unnecessarily complicated mechanisms, creating a demand for a device having a simpler mechanism. It is also desired that such a device for changing conveyance directions can be easily interconnected with other conveyance direction changing devices so as to expand the distance of conveying articles.
The present invention provides a solution to such desires by way of employing a mechanism that extracts two rotational outputs from forward and reverse rotations of a single motor.
In order to accomplish the object, in the present invention two rotational outputs that is caused by the forward and reverse rotations of a single motor, which can rotate in forward and reverse directions, are extracted separately; and one of the rotational outputs is used so as to drive a work-piece-conveying roller, which is rotatable about a horizontal axis, and the other rotational output is used to change the direction of such a work-piece-conveying roller.
In use, the work-piece-conveying roller for conveying a work piece is driven and its conveyance direction is changed by way of causing the motor to rotate in forward and reverse directions. In other words, a work piece can be conveyed in any specified direction on the same plane (or on the same conveyance plane) using a single motor.
The two rotational outputs caused by the forward and reverse rotations of the motor are extracted separately using a simple mechanism, and one of the rotational outputs is used so as to drive or rotate the work-piece-conveying roller, which is rotatable about a horizontal axis, and the other rotational output is used so as to change the direction of the work-piece-conveying roller.
The means for extracting the two rotational outputs caused by the forward and reverse rotations of the motor can be obtained by first and second drive gears, which are always rotated in the same direction regardless of whether the motor rotates in forward or reverse direction. In addition, the work-piece-conveying roller is held by a second driven gear which is rotated in an interlocked manner with the second drive gear. Furthermore, the periphery or the circumferential surface of the work-piece-conveying roller is set so as to be in contact with first driven gear which is rotated in an interlocked manner with the first drive gear.
With the above structure, the two rotational outputs caused by the forward and reverse rotations of the motor are extracted from the first and second drive gears, and the two rotational outputs that have been taken out are respectively used for driving or rotating the work-piece-conveying roller and for changing the facing direction of the work-piece-conveying roller.
Furthermore, in the present invention, a single motor that rotates in forward and reverse directions and first and second drive gears that are always rotated in the same direction regardless of the rotational direction of motor form a drive unit; a first driven gear that is rotated in an interlocked manner with the first drive gear, a second driven gear that is rotated in an interlocked manner with the second drive gear, and a work-piece-conveying roller that has a peripheral surface in contact with the first driven gear 7 form a driven unit; and a plurality of driven units are disposed in an interlocked manner with the drive unit.
In this structure, the size of a conveyance-direction-changing device unit can be changed as desired by simply increasing or decreasing the number of driven units that are arranged in an interlocked manner with the drive unit.
In addition, several conveyance-direction-changing device units each comprising the drive unit and a plurality of driven units can be disposed on the same plane (or on the same conveyance plane) in an interconnected fashion.
In this case, the size of an entire conveyance-direction-changing device can be easily and freely increased or decreased by simply increasing or decreasing the number of conveyance-direction-changing device units.
By controlling each one of the conveyance-direction-changing device units, a work-piece can be conveyed in any directions on the same plane or on the same conveyance plane.